A doctoral (PhD) student in Software Engineering

Software defines a critical part of our society’s digitalization.

Within the Software Engineering and Education (SEE) research group, we expand the research front on processes, methods, and tools for software development and its education. The group is multidisciplinary, including social and computer scientists. We are working with leading industrial partners, such as those within the automotive and medtech sectors. Our research covers, among other topics, the leading of the organisational (Gen)AI transformation, software quality assurance, as well as human and societal aspects within software engineering and its education.

Job description

The Ph.D. student position is primarily research-focused, with approximately 80% research and 20% teaching and/or administration. You will drive experimental studies, co-author scientific publications and grant applications, and collaborate with internal and external partners. Teaching duties may include supervising student theses and other courses at the unit.

Organizations of all types and sizes are heavily relying on software. Software engineering research helps understand and address challenges to ensure high-quality software in a fast changing technological landscape. One important aspect is translating the high-level ethical principles imposed by the European Commission on high-risk AI systems (e.g., privacy, data governance, non-discrimination, explainability, accountability) into verifiable criteria. Together, we work on shaping the design, development, and use of ethical software, in particular (Gen)AI.

During this PhD, you will contribute with your own insights and knowledge from your former experience on relevant topics, including Trustworthiness in AI and its verification, AI Risk Management Frameworks, AI policy, regulation, and governance mechanisms. Fluent programming capabilities with ample experience from previous projects are a requirement. Strong experience with Python, data analysis, and visualisation